MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Imperial House wants to return to Russia to promote civil society and the development of legal bodies, a representative said on Friday in Moscow.
"The Imperial House wants to come back to Russia for permanent residence and we believe this will happen like it happened in many countries," chancellor Alexander Zakatov said at a news conference.
The Russian Imperial House was forced to be in exile following the murder of the tsar's family in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in 1918. The Romanov dynasty is governed by laws of the Russian Empire.
The Romanovs insist their return to Russia has no political goal, such as the restoration of monarchy, but is linked to their wish to take part in cultural and charity events that contribute to strengthening of civil society in Russia.
Zakatov said the government needed to put forward an official view on the Romanovs' role in Russian history so that they could return to the country on formal basis, not as individuals.
The members of the imperial family are Grand Duchess Maria Romanov, her mother Dowager Grand Duchess Leonida Romanov, Grand Duke Georgii Romanov and Princess Ekaterina Romanov.
Maria, who heads the House, and Leonida Romanov live in Spain. Georgii, Maria's son, lives in Luxembourg and has been working for the European Commission since 2001.
Ekaterina, the granddaughter of Grand Duke Konstantin, lives in Uruguay.
The descendants of the Romanovs have sought since 2005 to have the last tsar and his family exonerated as victims of political repression. Maria Romanov says the killings were a state-sponsored execution rather than murder.
